Weekly Round-up #5

Firstly, apologies for my absence over the last few weeks, things had started to get a little hectic so I decided to take a little time out from all activities that required my thinking energy. Fortunately everything is starting to slow down now and I am just about ready for Christmas and a much needed break. I have missed three weekly round-ups so I'm hoping to get back on track.

Cosmetics transition complete
I can now proudly announce that my entire make-up collection is cruelty-free thanks to my new found obsession with Marks & Spencer's own brand range 'Autograph' replacing the last few items that I had remaining. I hadn't really taken much notice of their products before but now I've discovered them, I'm hooked.

Not only have they got a fabulous make-up range but they also stock other brands that are cruelty-free, you've only got to look for the leaping bunny. They have some gorgeous cruelty-free bubble baths, moisturisers and body spritzers but also what excited me the most were their selection of cruelty-free perfumes which I tried and tested in the store. I managed to restrain myself as the only thing stopping me from buying some was the fact that I still had a load of perfume at home that I need to use up before I even consider buying more. Anyway, I bought foundation, bronzer, pressed powder and a concealer stick.

I was rather interested in the eye shadows but I still have my 'Barry M' palettes that I have barely used so I had better start with them first.

Usher's Hat

While tuning in to watch 'The Graham Norton show' on Friday evening to see one of my favourite cruelty-free advocates Ricky Gervais, I was horrified to witness that their choice music act Usher was wearing a fur Davy Crockett type raccoon hat, as well as it making him look ridiculously stupid it made me feel physically sick to know that some poor creature died for him to flaunt that on his head. On researching his head wear, I discovered that PETA had already given him stick about it and he had been wearing it since last winter so he can't have learnt anything about it's origin and how much pain and suffering that the animal would have endured in the whole entire year that it's been in his possession.

Some people have no compassion whatsoever and I really hope that Ricky had pointed that out to him back-stage if he had the opportunity. 

Christmas Wishes

Lastly I would like to wish my readers a very Merry (and relaxing) Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful new year.

SUN Perfume by Lush

This eau de cologne hand-blended with fine essential oils comes in a little 10ml bottle which is perfect for storing in your handbag but at the price of £10 seems a little bit pricey for what it is. Despite the price I was desperate to try out one of their perfumes so I snapped it up. The bigger bottle (which is not really that much bigger) is a whopping £40 and there was no way I could justify spending that amount of money on such a small bottle.

The 10ml bottle is less concentrated than the bigger bottle, therefore you will have to apply more for it to have a greater effect. In theory that does make the bigger bottle better value for money but I still wasn't convinced about the price. I have mixed feeling about this perfume. When I tried it out in the shop I didn't mind the smell but when I started using it at home I took a gradual dislike to it. However after using it for a while it started to grow on me again. It smells exactly like I've just been peeling a strong zesty orange and I think it's the bitter after-smell that I have trouble getting used to.

I would definitely recommend that you try before you buy because each perfume reacts differently to each person. I don't think I will buy this particular perfume again as I prefer sweet, fruity scents and this is far too bitter for my liking. This product is labelled vegan.

Hooray for HURRAW

I have noticed that Hurraw lip balm is proving to be very popular lately judging by other beauty/cruelty free blogs, so here I am jumping on the band wagon with my post about these little sticks of amazingness. Hurraw balm contains premium organic, vegan (which means no beeswax) and raw ingredients and come in a luscious array of scents (I was going to say flavours as it's confusing when something smells good enough to eat).

I purchased mine from 'Whole Foods,' Piccadilly, upstairs beside the till which obviously proved to be the best selling point. I have also noticed a few displayed in 'Planet Organic' too but alternatively you can buy them on-line at the official US based website of 'Hurraw' or 'My Pure' if you are looking for a UK retailer.

I have the 'chai spice lip balm' and the 'vanilla bean lip balm.' Both are great products but the chai spice has to be my favourite... I just love the smell. I have to remind myself not to walk around in public with my lips turned up to my nose in the effort to get a whiff of the balm. Not a good look at all.

This balm goes on smoothly and isn't sticky but may have to be reapplied a little more regularly. They should most certainly be on everyone's winter essentials list whether it be for yourself or bought as a stocking filler for a family member, part of a present for a friend or even included in a secret Santa present for a work colleague. Do you think I have given you enough idea's!?!

The balm comes in an oval shaped stick which apparently is less likely to work it's way out of your back jeans pocket but I'll be keeping mine in my coat pocket or handbag. The stick also displays the leaping bunny logo which indicates that the product is cruelty free. more information can be found about the packaging and ingredients HERE.

What ones do you have? I'm interested to know what the night treatment balm is like if anyone has tried it.

The Vegan Kind Beauty Box

I had already subscribed to 'The Vegan Kind' before I met them at 'Vegfest' last month so I already knew what they were all about. For those of you who don't know, I shall explain. 'The Vegan Kind' send out monthly vegan lifestyle boxes for a fee of £10 plus postage and packaging. The box usually contains about six food items and one non food item, all Vegan and cruelty free. You shall hear more about the monthly subscription boxes after I have received my next box but this time I want to let you know about their beauty box which is updated every three months and costs £15 plus postage and packaging. I picked mine up for the reduced price of £13 at 'Vegfest'. Now I'm probably a little late with this one but it gives you an idea of the sort of items you can find.

So in this box I received six cruelty free beauty products and a description of each one. The first product I tried almost instantly on opening my box has to be my favourite out of all the items and that is the 'White Rabbit Lime and Coconut Cleansing Water' (RRP £4). This is very gentle on the skin but does it's job well. The lime essential oil contained within it has antiseptic, antibacterial, astringent and toning properties. It has a subtle citrucy smell which I like because it's not too over-powering when I apply it to my face. This now has pride of place in the bathroom cabinet with all my other favourite products.

My second favourite item in the box would have to be 'Simply Soaps Orange Cocoa Bath Melt' (RRP £4.50). It's made from raw cocoa butter and pure plant essential oils which soften the skin. I can't pinpoint any one particular scent with this but you can definitely detect the citrucy notes. I was hoping that it would smell a little stronger once in the bath but that didn't put me off. I love bath products that contain cocoa butter so I couldn't wait to give this a try. I placed it in the bath and swished it around until it had fully dissolved. I climbed in and out of the bath with care as the bath melt had made it extremely slippery but it left me feeling moisturised and very relaxed.

The 'Furless 'must have' Pro Stippling Brush (RRP £8.50) is suitable for applying liquids, mousses, creams, primers and powders. I stupidly haven't used it yet as it feels so soft and I don't want to ruin it. I know, I know... what's the point in having it if I don't use it! I will, in time but for now I just like looking at it in my make-up bag. 'Furless' are an Australian company that sell an array of different high quality synthetic make-up brushes, cruelty free make-up and nail polish. I looked up their WEBSITE and was very impressed.

Now I don't normally use eyeliner pencils, I prefer liquid eyeliner for ease of application but I was pleasantly surprised with 'Inika Black Caviar Eyeliner' (RRP £13.50) as I didn't have to press as hard as I normally have to with a regular eyeliner pencil. I don't know if anyone else has this problem, maybe I'm just extra sensitive or weird. I think I will actually give this a go on occasions so this product gets to stay in my make-up bag... lucky thing!

Last but not least I received not one but two fabulous 'Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Beauty Eyeshadow' 1g sample (RRP £3.50 each) which are apparently available nationwide at 'Holland and Barret.' These mineral eyeshadows are free from parabens, synthetic dyes and fragrances, fillers, bismuth, oxychloride, nano particles and animal products. The shades I received were 'Platinum Tiara' and 'Dusty Road' (so a gold and silver) ideal colours for the autumn and winter months, 'Dusty Road' particularly so at Christmas. I tried out both and really liked them but 'Dusty Road' was definitely my favourite out of the two because it seemed to stay on for longer and was more vibrant. Although I hadn't applied any primer beforehand which I will next time.

So for a £13 box that's usually £15 I didn't do too badly with all the products totalling to £37.50... a real bargain if you ask me even if you purchase the box at full price. They may have introduced the next box by now with new products so please don't purchase it expecting to get these items but I'm sure the next one will be just as good.

Vegan Product of the Week: Pacifica Perfume

Since I stopped shopping at 'The Body Shop' I had been on the hunt for some decent, gorgeous smelling perfume and I found that in 'Pacifica.' After such a short space of time it has fast become my favourite perfume brand. I'm a big fan of sweet smelling perfumes and these smell good enough to eat.

Pacifica perfumes are 100% vegan, cruelty free, free of parabens and propylene glycol. They are usually priced at £19.99 but you may find them on offer at £15.99 on occasions. I purchased mine at 'Planet Organic' but I've noticed some on 'Amazon' and obviously Pacifica's main WEBSITE which is US based. The range of scents also come in the form of body butter, body wash, soap, difusers and soy candles.

The perfume can be layered or worn alone. I layered 'Island Vanilla' with the 'Tahitian Gardenia' and they smelled divine. The only downside is that it tends to fade after a few hours and needs to be topped up but the bottles are the perfect size for your handbag.

Barry M Haul

Now I'm not usually one to write about make-up and beauty products, I leave that to people who know what they are talking about but I thought I would give it a go no matter how bad it turns out. I don't tend to wear make-up that often, mostly at the weekends if I'm going out. Normally work require us to keep make-up to a minimum so I don't bother at all, especially when I have a lot of early starts to contend with. Over the past few months I have been trying to replace all the make-up I have with cruelty free brands. I thought I was doing well until I did a bit of research.

I began buying products from 'The Body Shop' but realised that they were owned by L'oreal who continue to profit from animal testing outside Europe. So when I have used these products up I shall be on the hunt for some new ones. One main company that I am aware of that is both cruelty free and affordable is Barry-M so I went into 'Boots' to buy some of their products.

I came away with their Ivory 1 Flawless Matte Finish oil free foundation, Smokin Hot Shadow and Blush Palette, Lip Gloss and two lip-sticks including the Genie which I'm really intrigued by.

So first up is 'Absolute Burgundy' in the stain paint range . I was worried that this would be a bit dark for me, I used to wear this kind of colour years ago and I had stopped wearing lip-stick for a long time but I thought I would give it a go again and I liked the result. It's a great colour for the autumn months and will look fabulous on nights out (not that I get many of those). Apologies for the extremely dodgy photo's you are about to endure.

Genie is a clever little invention and I have to admit I bought it purely because of it's magical qualities. The lip stick appears green but when you use it on your lips, it leaves them pink.

I really like the shimmery dark smoky colours in the 'Smokin Hot Palette', I used my own brush for application but I found that a lot of excess dust fell under my eyes. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good photo of my eyes once I had finished. The palette has a mirror on the inside and the flap stays shut using a magnet

The foundation was a little disappointing. The consistency isn't thick enough to cover blemishes or freckles but it's ideal if you want a subtle, more natural look. You can feel the moisturising qualities so it's reassuring to know it's not going to dry your skin out too much. It works well with powder but it's just not compatible with my complexion.

I haven't worn lip gloss for a long time either so I thought I would treat myself, I went for a nice neutral colour for everyday use (well not everyday as I won't be wearing it at work). All in all, I'm pleased with my purchases but I will continue my hunt for the perfect foundation.